Polymer Clay Message Board - Polymer Clay Forum - The Clay Store

Brookies Rae · Clay Commander Joined: 21 Aug 2005 Posts: 38

I don't know if it's been asked before.

Also, what tool is best to get out finger prints? w/o pushing the clay, like on a small peice ?

jnmurtha · Clay Commander Joined: 09 May 2005 Posts: 66

Hi there,

I have a double ended sculpting tool I use alot. I got it from Jack Johnston, I think he calls it his primary sculpting tool. Anyway, that one one seems to work the best for me for many of the things I make. I also have a double ended needle tool which I made myself, one end is a darning needle, the other is a smaller needle, the middle part, which is actually the handle, is a knitting needle! Sounds strange I know, I cut both ends off of the knitting needle leaving it about a 5 inch hollow tube, then stuffed the ends with clay, put the needle ends in the clay, baked it and I came up with a very sturdy needle tool.
Fingerprints are always a problem for me. I've found that when I'm almost complete with a piece, before I bake it, it helps to use a paint brush and smooth the surface with a tiny bit of liquid clay softener. It smooths out the fingerprints.

JennRuth

Mousefingers · Starting Member Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 4

What is my favorite tool?

I guess that depends on what I'm doing. If I'm trying to keep fingerprints from being a problem, I would say fingercots and blue ice to keep my hands cool. I also keep my hands moisturized because dry and calloused hands have deeper fingerprints leaving deeper impressions.

If I'm smoothing out a piece, I have a tool that I made from an oval bead made I from a Tri Bead Roller designed by Poly Tools that I glued onto a large blunt darning needle. I can hold the darning needle in my fingers and roll the bead all over the piece that I'm smoothing out, while letting the needle just spin in my fingers. Also, the wonderful double ended knitting needle that was mentioned. You can buy them. Of course I can't leave out the sculpting tools with the rubber ends. They come in various shapes and degrees of flexibility. A Lazy-Susan or small turn table is oh, so handy when trying not to over handle a piece and you need to keep turning it to keep work on all sides and keep an objective eye, (a mirror helps in keeping an objective eye too, the reflection of the piece you are working on will show you what you can't seem to put your finger on when something "just isn't right"-this works in painting too!)

Oh you asked "What's my Favorite Tool?" not Tool(s)...OK so I got a wee bit carried away.

Happy Claying,

Very Happy

MOUSE

Naomi · Clay Captain Joined: 12 Jun 2005 Posts: 26 Location: USA

My absolute favorite tool is the clay blade, with a scalpel being a close second. My pasta machine is essential for me, but I have a love/dislike relationship with it. I love the unifom thickness of the polymer clay that I get using the pasta machine, but I dislike having to take the pasta machine apart to clean it. I stripped all the non-essential parts from my pasta machine, but it is still a bit of an annoyance having to stop in the middle of a creative frenzy to take apart and clean the pasta machine. I tried to use various set-ups I've read about for making polymer clay a uniform thickness without a pasta machine, but my end results were never right.

Wood toothpicks are essential tools for me. I use them for so many things, from sculpting and texturing polymer clay; to scooping out Pearl-Ex and embossing powders; to mixing inks and liquid polymer clay; and so much more.